Method of treating fibrous material



Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

NWE stares v imam Parent, OFFICE.

EDUARD DYGKERHOFF, OF BLUMENAN, GiERJllllIAlW'Yv METHOD OF TREATING FIBROUS MATERIAL.

No Drawing.

process of treating materlal wholly or partly of a fibrous character such as wood, peat, turf or the like for the purpose of rendering the material water-resisting or waterrepelling and thus enabling it to be employed as a building or insulating material and for other purposes for which such qualities are desirable or essential. I

The invention has for its object to provide a method of treatment for material of the character above indicated which shall be simple, inexpensive and effective for the purpose.

The method of treatment employed will necessarily vary somewhat in accordance with the nature of the material to be treated but in the case of the treatment of wood in the form of sawdust, shavings or otherwise subdivided the wood is heated on trays indrying drums or some suitable containers to a temperature of approximately 120 centigrade. By this simple heating process the wood mass is rendered water-resisting and non-hygroscopic and can be utilized for the production of building and insulating materials in a variety of different ways. For instance, the treated material may be employed as a filling material for hollow wall for heat insulating purposes and is very superior to ordinary sawdust, which by reason of its being hygroscopic attracts and absorbs moisture and consequently very rapidly loses its heat insulating properties. The material produced by the invention on the other hand always remains impervious to the effects of dam ness.

Pulverized or sub ivided wood treated in accordance with the invention may also be employed as a filler material in the manufacture of cements, mortars, and the like the wood mass after being rendered waterresisting being mixed with suitable binding material, for instance cement, with addition of water or other similar liquid. The wood mass treated as above described is not affected by the liquid constituents of the ce- Application filed August 19, 1922. Serial No. 583,062.

ment or other bindin means, and does not absorb the water. onsequently the material will not become sodden or pulpy and the heat insulating properties of the wood constituent will remain completely intact.

It is possible to use the water-resistant wood mass as a filling or body material for certain moulded or formed products as, for

instance, artificial stone,- artificial wood, stone wood and the like employed as building material, building slabs or blocks, insulating slabs, fittings or imilar products and the like. In the production of these various products binding materials can be employed such as aqueous cements, and also bituminous binding material such as tar, pitch and the like with or without the addition of chemical constituents. In the manufacture of these products heat or pressure or heat and pressure may be employed, as in the manufacture of other artificial compositions of this character. I

The improved method of the invention renders the manufacture of these products extremely simple and the products themselves are substantially improved. A further advantage in the use of such water-resistant wood material is the avoidance of contraction of the completed products which do not absorb moisture.

, The finishedproduc'ts may be subjected to a further heating up to 120 centigrade.

The degree and duration of the heat treatment depend upon the nature of the wood and the size of the wood mass to be heated.

It is also possible to use filling material consisting of a mixture of water-resistant wood and water-resistant turf or peat.

In the treatment of peat according to the invention the following process may be employed. I

Air dried moor peat (for instance, dry fibrous peat litter or also coarse pieces of dry peat) are heated to approximately 120 centlgrade on trays in rotating drying drums or in a suitable heating chamber or flue, the degree and duration-of the heating depending upon the quality of the peat. For instance, large pieces of peat must be heated more strongly or for longer than finely divided peat. The lowest temperature' which is effective has been found to be approximately 105 C. and the highest 130 C. At higher temperatures (about 130- means of a suitable mixing device.

140) charring or burning begins to take place, thus altering the structure of the material.

Almost immediately after the heating the dry peat is mixed with raw masses of moor peat, which freshly obtained from its bed is preferably raised to the boiling polnt in a uitable container before mixing. The mixing of the dry peat previously treated by heating with the damp raw peat may take place immediately after the boiling of the raw peat and may be effected by hand orrlply e well mixed mass may then have a quantity of water added thereto, for instance, if it is desired to have a specially fluid pulpy mass suitable for pouring into moulds or forms.

The mixture is then subjected to pressure in the moulds or forms to remove the water on the one hand and on the other hand in order to produce the desired shape.

Binding material such as cement may be added to the mixture or cement, lime gypsum or the like may be mixed in a pulpy or fluid state with the dry peat. The amount and nature of the added binding material may obviously be varied, according to whether it is desired to produce a more or less porous or a compact and solid product. For the same purpose filling material of a special character such as sand, or other chemical substances may be added.

After completion of the moulding or press ing operation, that is to say after expelling the greater part of the contained water, the formed bodies can be further specially dried in the air or by the use of artificial heat in drying apparatus.

In cases in which the binding material is a setting cement the use of pressure for the formation of the product may be omitted, the mixture of dry peat and cement-like binding material beingsimply filled in the known manner into moulds.

As in the case of wood,bituminous binding material such as pitch, tar and the like may be employed.

Any of the products obtained as above described may after completion be further heated to approximately 120 C. in order to ensure that the finished product shall be uniformly water-resistant.

Bodies or masses of pure peat may also be rendered water-resistant by heating as above explained as well as loose or pulverized wood or peat, peat dust or the like. Such loose or pulverized wood or peat after treatment by heating to approximately 120 centigrade is very suitable for filling hollow wall spaces and the like, especially such as are subject to the effects of damp. I

Finely sub-divided peat powder is fur-' thermore suitable for dusting moulds, patterns and the like in casting operations.

It is also possible to produce bodies of a rmasss porous heat insulating structure with a compact non-porous face or outer layer. Such a product can be obtained for instance if the water-resistant dry peat is used, which. in addition to fine peat fibres contains also moreor less large pieces, which are introduced with a coniparatively thin liquid binding material into forms or moulds. It is possible in this manner to arrange that the peat mass in the mould is preferably located in the upper part so that the finished product in'the lower half preferably contains the binding material. This'product can for instance be used as building bricks, which with its surface of close firm structure may form the outside of buildings' Finally the water-resistant loose wood or peat mass is also used as the chief constituent, filling, or additional constituent for a cement-like mass in a pulpy or more or less liquid form used in a manner similar to plaster and which hardens after application.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of producing water-resisting or repelling material from subdivided woody material which consists in subjecting the material to a dry heat at a temperature of approximately 120 centigrade and subsequently mixing the material thus treated with damp moor peat.

2-. The method of producing water-resisting or repelling material from subdivided woody material, which consists in subjecting the material to a dry heat at a temperature of approximately 120 centigrade and subsequently mixing the material thus treated with damp moor peat which has been previously heated.

3. The method of producing water-resisting or repelling material from subdividedterials from subdivided woody material, which.

consists in subjecting the material to a dry heat at a temperature of approximately 120 centigrade and mixing the product with binding and filler materials.

5. The method of producing building materials and the like from subdivided woody material which consists in subjecting the material to a dry heat at a temperature of approximately 120 centigradeg adding binding material thereto, and subsequently forming the mass into a desired shape.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand.

EDUARD DYCKERHOEE, 

